Letter: College football in disarray

To the Editor:

As a Penn Stater, class of 1963, I was disappointed with the loss to Mississippi in the Peach Bowl, and I was irate with the key Penn State football players who sat out the game. Four of them signed up for the NFL draft and one entered the transfer portal.

These players enjoyed full scholarships during their years at Penn State and were held in high regard as potential graduates.

The current transfer portal system has created the “Wild West” of college football. Players can transfer during the election period, and conceivably transfer schools four times during their college years. This adds tremendous instability to football programs and adversely impacts student-athletes education.

The four Penn State football players who sat out the bowl game for fear of being injured and losing out on NFL contracts let down the school, the alumni, and themselves, but most of all they let down their teammates, so called “brothers,” who relied on them to be there. The dropouts deserted the team. Note: I watched almost all of the bowl games, and there were no injuries that would have impacted future contracts.

College football players should be required to finish the season, including bowl games. Their football scholarships for a given year should stipulate playing in bowl games.